Oscillating pellet forming machine



June 3, 1969 LANDERS ETAL 3,447,487

OSCILLATING PELLET FORMING MACHINE Filed Nov. 14, 1967 F IG. 3.

HARVEY SMITH LANDERS CHA RLES RICHARD LANDERS INVENTORS BY fla /m, I

United States Patent 3,447,487 OSCILLATING PELLET FORMING MACHINE Harvey Smith Landers and Charles Richard Landers, both of 3601 N. Sylvania, Fort Worth, Tex. 76111 Filed Nov. 14, 1967, Ser. No. 682,783 Int. Cl. A21c 11/16; B30b 7/04, 15/06 U.S. Cl. 107-14 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An oscillating pellet forming machine including a hopper, two angularly disposed flat extrusion dies therebeneath and a hinged compressor plate between the dies making substantially flat contact therewith.

This invention relates to pellet forming machines and has reference to a machine for use in laboratories or other places where small amounts of pellets are formed at any one time.

By way of example, the pellets herein referred to are made of feed stuff for animals and from time to time the manufacturer changes his formulas. Thus, the new formula must be tested to determine whether or not it will form pellets. Heretofore, it was necessary to run the material through large production mills or other large pelletizing machines for testing with the result that more pellets were made than necessary. Also, the removal of unsatisfactory material from the large machines was diflicult and time consuming.

The primary object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive pellet forming machine for experimental purposes.

Another object is to provide a pellet forming machine for the described purpose and wherein the dies, having different sizes of apertures, may be conveniently changed.

A further object is to provide a sturdy low production pellet forming machine for the described purpose.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a broken perspective and partly schematic view of a pellet forming machine according to the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a reduced scale end view of the oscillating shaft, the compressor plate and the operating lever, and

FIGURE 3 is a front elevational view of a removable die.

In the drawing the numeral designates a rectangular base having a rectangular opening 11 inwardly of its edges. Inwardly of the ends of the base 10 there are end walls 12, top surfaces 13 and downwardly and inwardly inclined hopper walls 14. As shown, the base 10, end walls 12, top surfaces 13 and inclined hopper walls '14 are cast as an integral unit, but it will be obvious that some surfaces will be machined to receive certain parts to be described.

An important feature of the invention has to do with a hinged compressor plate 15 integral with and along the upper surface of an oscillating shaft 16. It will be noted that the compressor plate 15 is thick and that the diameter of the shaft 16 is approximately twice the thickness of the plate. The shaft 16 is supported in opposing arcuate bearings 17, and above the bearings there are flat apertured extrusion dies 18. The dies 18 are rectangular and are shouldered along their upper and lower rear horizontal edges where they are received in corresponding recesses, not numbered, in the upper edges of the bearings 17 and the lower edges of the inclined hopper walls 14.

The form of the invention shown includes rectangular side walls 20 which are secured to the ends of the inclined hopper walls 14 by cap screws 21. Similarly, the ends of the arcuate bearings 17 are secured to the side walls 20 by other cap screws, not shown. There is a slidably removable door 22 in one side wall 20, and which door is held in place by bolts 23 and washers 24 in and on the side wall. On the ends of the dies '18 there are projecting pins 25 which are, on corresponding ends, received in holes, not shown, in the side wall 20 opposite the door 22 whereas the remaining pins 25 are received in holes 26 in the door.

As best shown in FIGURE 2, there is an operating lever 27 which is integral with and depends from the shaft 16 at its longitudinal center. As shown in FIGURE 1, the lever 27 extends through the opening 11 to below the base 10. To those versed in the art it will be apparent that the lever 27 may be connected to the shaft 16 in other ways, for example outwardly of a side wall 20, not shown. A rotary drive shaft 28 and crank 29 are schematically shown in FIGURE 1 for transmitting reciprocating motion to a connecting arm 30 which is pivotally connected to the operating lever 27 by wrist pin 31. The lower center portions of the arcuate bearings are notched, at 32, to accommodate the movement of the operating lever 27.

The hopper portion of the machine is defined by the inclined hopper walls 14 and the areas of the side walls 20 therebetween. To prevent or reduce bridging of the material in the hopper portion, agitator rods 33 project upwardly from the upper edge of the compressor plate 15.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the hinged oscillation of compressor plate 15 will force pervulent material through apertures 34 in the dies 18. Pellets are formed by reason of the presence of one or more binders in the material, for example, gluten and molasses. The dies 18 may be readily changed by removing the door 22.

The invention is not limited to the exemplary construction herein shown and described, but may be made in various ways within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An oscillating pellet forming machine including a hopper, two inwardly and downwardly disposed flat dies beneath said hopper and in communication therewith, a compressor plate between said dies, means hingedly mounting said compressor plate below said dies along an axis parallel therewith, means oscillating said compressor plate to at least the proximity of the opposing surfaces of said dies, the construction wherein said means hingedly mounting said compressor plate includes a shaft on which the lower length of said compressor plate is mounted, the diameter of said shaft being greater than the thickness of said plate, and arcuate bearings engaging opposite sides of said shaft.

2. In an ocillating pellet forming machine as defined in claim 1, the construction wherein said machine includes side walls, means demountably supporting said References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,837,034 12/1931 Freund .100-209XR 3,304,854 2/1967 Davis 100233 XR 4 FOREIGN PATENTS 885,461 5/1943 France.

BILLY I. WILHITE, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

